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S07E03: I’m not too thrilled with Weeds at the moment. And I’ll be honest with you because we’ve grown to know and trust one another, I feel like I owe you the truth at the very least. Prior to reviewing the show in an official capacity, I had never watched Weeds on a weekly basis. I got into the show sometime around when the fourth season was ending and subsequently watched each season after their completion in one fell swoop. Maybe the show was more palpable weekly in its earlier days, but I have a feeling this is turning into a season that needs to be watched in one fell swoop to be fully enjoyed.
That’s not to say it was "Game-Played’s" fault. There were certain moments that I found enjoyable and entertaining, but the glacial pace of the developments almost sucked all interest of the show out of me. Not to mention the baffling actions of most of the characters.
Like with Nancy, I honestly have no idea what the hell she thinks she is doing. What exactly is her motivation to start selling again? I guess I can understand “try again, fail better,” but these three years behind bars must have really messed with her head. Or maybe I can just see the manipulations better. Like her interactions with Andy and the new drug counselor. She’s obviously upset about her sister wanting to get custody over Stevie, but she turns on the charm with the counselor lady and gets her way. I’d almost feel sympathetic for her (because she really does love the kid and want him back), but then she goes and runs all over Andy. Granted, he does everything she asks of him, but he’s basically a big dog. He’s loyal, true, good-natured, and when she’s off to go screw her dealer and leave a bag of explosives in his new apartment, he’s still in love with her. And Nancy takes advantage of that.
"Ooh! Bottomless bacon! Yes!" - Doug
As mentioned before, Andy bought an apartment that can, at best, be described as threadbare. Having gone through the housing hunt in New York City, I can attest that you find some strange places (a giant St. Bernard in a tiny, tiny two bedroom apartment -- huh?). It seems like a good central spot to root the family. Shane tries to enroll in college, but finds it a bit more difficult than he thought. But when he mentions that he could possibly be an international student, the admissions office is a bit more welcoming. And when the subject of payment comes up, student loans are touted and Shane takes off to the bank. I know next to nothing about loans, interest, fixed rates and what not, so if Shane is trying to play a game with them I probably won’t understand it, but will pretend like I do because that’s how I roll.
And finally we get to the one interesting story that was compelling throughout: Silas’ art world gig with Lindsay Sloane. Sloane plays the typical “artist” who has grand reasons for hiding her identity and nearly killing her performers and luckily, she doesn’t play it too over-the-top. Instead, she is just a girl. Silas doesn’t really appreciate nearly being suffocated, but Sloane has grander ideas in mind. She wants someone to step up and save the model and somehow Andy is the only one to do that. It's an interesting idea that could have become pretentious or horrible satire, but it struck a nice balance.
Luckily, the previews for next week look promising. We’re finally getting some Martin Short and Andy beds Lindsay Sloane. Works for me. I still wish I could just fast forward in time and watch the season in one big chunk, but the world doesn’t work like that for me. Yet. I’m working on it.

Showtime has just released a press announcement divulging a few little details about the new season of Weeds and some of the notable guest stars. Last season improved a bit from the downslide of seasons four and five and while it is still way too early to tell, this press release gives me a little bit of hope. First up, and no these aren’t spoilers (as it’ll be revealed in the first five minutes of the show), there’s a three year time jump as Nancy served out her sentence. But she’s not totally free as she moved to NYC and is living in a half way home. Doug, Silas, and Shane resided in Copenhagen during her stint and are on their way back to the States. And finally, it seems the show is getting back to its roots as Nancy has taken up selling once again.
But the guest stars! Never forge the guest stars. The biggest name coming on for three episodes is Martin Short and he’ll play an eccentric attorney. Aidan Quinn will play an investment firm CEO and considering the fact that Nancy doesn't exactly go into finance, methinks he'll be client. Or lover. Or BOTH! As previously reported, Lindsay Sloane will play an artist that Andy meets though we’ve learned that David Clennon will play her husband. I smell trouble. Jennifer Jason Leigh returns as Nancy’s sister who has been keeping young Stevie while mommy was in the clinker. In a role that I am really hoping will be hilarious, Gary Anthony Williams will play Nancy’s half-way housing counselor. Mad potential, that casting. Pablo Schreiber will play Nancy’s cell mate's brother who begins supplying Nancy (oh yeah, Olga Sosnovska plays her cell mate).
So that’s what you have to look forward to with Weeds this summer!
Source: Showtime

The first and most important thing you should know about Paramount Pictures’ Thor is that it’s not a laughably corny comic book adaptation. Though you might find it hokey to hear a bunch of muscled heroes talk like British royalty while walking around the American Southwest in LARP garb director Kenneth Branagh has condensed vast Marvel mythology to make an accessible straightforward fantasy epic. Like most films of its ilk I’ve got some issues with its internal logic aesthetic and dialogue but the flaws didn’t keep me from having fun with this extra dimensional adventure.
Taking notes from fellow Avenger Iron Man the story begins with an enthralling event that takes place in a remote desert but quickly jumps back in time to tell the prologue which introduces the audience to the shining kingdom of Asgard and its various champions. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) son of Odin is heir to the throne but is an arrogant overeager and ill-tempered rogue whose aggressive antics threaten a shaky truce between his people and the frost giants of Jotunheim one of the universe’s many realms. Odin (played with aristocratic boldness by Anthony Hopkins) enraged by his son’s blatant disregard of his orders to forgo an assault on their enemies after they attempt to reclaim a powerful artifact banishes the boy to a life among the mortals of Earth leaving Asgard defenseless against the treachery of Loki his mischievous “other son” who’s always felt inferior to Thor. Powerless and confused the disgraced Prince finds unlikely allies in a trio of scientists (Natalie Portman Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings) who help him reclaim his former glory and defend our world from total destruction.
Individually the make-up visual effects CGI production design and art direction are all wondrous to behold but when fused together to create larger-than-life set pieces and action sequences the collaborative result is often unharmonious. I’m not knocking the 3D presentation; unlike 2010’s genre counterpart Clash of the Titans the filmmakers had plenty of time to perfect the third dimension and there are only a few moments that make the decision to convert look like it was a bad one. It’s the unavoidable overload of visual trickery that’s to blame for the frost giants’ icy weaponized constructs and other hybrids of the production looking noticeably artificial. Though there’s some imagery to nitpick the same can’t be said of Thor’s thunderous sound design which is amped with enough wattage to power The Avengers’ headquarters for a century.
Chock full of nods to the comics the screenplay is both a strength and weakness for the film. The story is well sequenced giving the audience enough time between action scenes to grasp the characters motivations and the plot but there are tangential narrative threads that disrupt the focus of the film. Chief amongst them is the frost giants’ fore mentioned relic which is given lots of attention in the first act but has little effect on the outcome. In addition I felt that S.H.I.E.L.D. was nearly irrelevant this time around; other than introducing Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye the secret security faction just gets in the way of the movie’s momentum.
While most of the comedy crashes and burns there are a few laughs to be found in the film. Most come from star Hemsworth’s charismatic portrayal of the God of Thunder. He plays up the stranger-in-a-strange-land aspect of the story with his cavalier but charming attitude and by breaking all rules of diner etiquette in a particularly funny scene with the scientists whose respective roles as love interest (Portman) friendly father figure (Skarsgaard) and POV character (Dennings) are ripped right out of a screenwriters handbook.
Though he handles the humorous moments without a problem Hemsworth struggles with some of the more dramatic scenes in the movie; the result of over-acting and too much time spent on the Australian soap opera Home and Away. Luckily he’s surrounded by a stellar supporting cast that fills the void. Most impressive is Tom Hiddleston who gives a truly humanistic performance as the jealous Loki. His arc steeped in Shakespearean tragedy (like Thor’s) drums up genuine sympathy that one rarely has for a comic book movie villain.
My grievances with the technical aspects of the production aside Branagh has succeeded in further exploring the Marvel Universe with a film that works both as a standalone superhero flick and as the next chapter in the story of The Avengers. Thor is very much a comic book film and doesn’t hide from the reputation that its predecessors have given the sub-genre or the tropes that define it. Balanced pretty evenly between “serious” and “silly ” its scope is large enough to please fans well versed in the source material but its tone is light enough to make it a mainstream hit.

The Emmy-nominated star passed away at her California home on Wednesday (20Apr11) after a brief illness, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Davis had been legendary actress Lucille Ball's scriptwriter for nearly four decades, penning over 125 episodes of the iconic U.S. TV sitcom I Love Lucy during the 1950s.
She is survived by her son Michael Quinn Martin and four stepchildren, Brian, Charlotte, Lisa, and Ned Davis.

Warner Bros.' Unknown, starring Liam Neeson leads a very competitive President’s weekend with a chart topping $25.6 million for 4-days and $21.8 million for three days. At nearly 60 years of age, Neeson is still one of the most believable and appealing action stars working today. Given the solid street credentials he developed from his take-no-prisoners role in 2009's Taken, Unknown benefited not only from a great marketing campaign, but from the audience goodwill generated by that unexpected hit. Producer Joel Silver known for putting his imprint on super high profile and successful action franchises such as Die Hard, Lethal Weapon and The Matrix oversees the proceedings, while Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra takes the helm. Mad Men’s January Jones, Diane Kruger and Aidan Quinn star alongside Neeson.
Disney was well represented in the top five, with its G-rated Gnomeo and Juliet
taking full advantage of its second weekend landing in a holiday frame.
This scenario traditionally benefits family films and the resultant
small weekend-over-weekend 24% drop helped this animated romance land in
second place for the 4-days with $24.8 million and $19.2 million for the three day portion.
Dreamworks suspense thriller I Am Number Four, distributed by Disney had a third place debut for the four-days of President's Day weekend with $22.6 million and $19.4 million for three days. Drawing the same younger audiences that drove director D.J. Caruso's previous two thrillers, Eagle Eye and Disturbia, to solid first-place openings the film had IMAX to thank for 13% of its weekend gross. Starring newcomer and potential teen heartthrob Alex Pettyfer and featuring Glee's Dianna Agron, the film is loaded with impressive special effects and action sequences that bear producer Michael Bay's stylistic stamp.
Just Go With It starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston had a solid second weekend earning another $18.2 million against minimal 40% drop for the three day portion and $21.7 million for 4-days. The film has a domestic cumulative gross of $64.3 million.
Fox kept it a family affair with the release of its comedy sequel Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son, in which Martin Lawrence reprises his role as Big Momma and introduces Brandon T. Jackson to the successful franchise as his stepson. This Momma weighed in with a 3-day debut of $16.25 million and a 4-day debut of $19 million in fifth place.
In great news for the industry, the down streak that afflicted the box office for 14 straight weeks is finally over. The strong lineup this weekend coupled with favorable comparisons to the post-President’s weekend last year (President’s weekend fell a week earlier in 2010), created the magic formula to put an end to the streak. The all-time record negative streak was experienced in 2005, when 19 down weeks plagued the industry from late spring into summer.
Weekend Box Office - 4-Day President's Weekend
Top 10 Movies - For Weekend of February 18, 2011 - Estimates
Movie Weekend Total
1 Unknown (PG-13) $25.6M $25.6M
2 Gnomeo &amp; Juliet (G) $24.8M $55.8M
3 I Am Number Four (PG-13) $22.6M $22.6M
4 Just Go With It (PG-13) $21.7M $64.3M
5 Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (PG-13) $19.0M $19.0M
6 Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (G) $16.5M $51.4M
7 The King's Speech (R) $7.9M $104.6M
8 The Roommate (PG-13) $4.5M $$33.1M
9 The Eagle (PG-13) $4.3M $15.8M
10 No Strings Attached (R) $3.7M $66.6M

Fox will keep it a family affair with the release of its comedy sequel Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son, in which Martin Lawrence reprises his role as Big Momma and introduces Brandon T. Jackson to the successful franchise as his stepson. With a built-in fan-base from the first two hit films, look for this Big Momma to weigh in big with a weekend gross in the $20 million range.
Dreamworks suspense thriller I Am Number Four, distributed by Disney is also poised for a strong debut this President's Day weekend, drawing the same younger audiences that drove director D.J. Caruso's previous two thrillers, Eagle Eye and Disturbia, to solid first-place openings. Starring newcomer and potential teen heartthrob Alex Pettyfer and featuring Glee's Dianna Agron, the film is loaded with impressive special effects and action sequences that bear producer Michael Bay's stylistic stamp. Add to that, 200-plus IMAX showings and attractive up-and-comer Teresa Palmer of The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and watch the teen and action audience spend in the vicinity of $20 million.
The third newcomer to the weekend festivities is Warner Bros.' Unknown, starring Liam Neeson. At nearly 60 years of age, Neeson is still one of the most believable and appealing action stars working today. Given the solid street credentials he developed from his take-no-prisoners role in 2009's Taken, Unknown should benefit not only from a great marketing campaign, but from the audience goodwill generated by that unexpected hit and collect $17 million to $20 million. Producer Joel Silver known for putting his imprint on super high profile and successful action franchises such as Die Hard, Lethal Weapon and The Matrix oversees the proceedings, while Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra takes the helm. Mad Men’s January Jones, Diane Kruger and Aidan Quinn star alongside Neeson.
Disney will be well represented in the top five, with its G-rated Gnomeo and Juliet taking full advantage of its second weekend landing in a holiday frame. This scenario traditionally benefits family films and the resulting small weekend-over-weekend percentage drop could help this animated romance gross in the mid to high teens.
Leave it to Bieber to take fifth position with around $15 million after a spectacular near $30 million debut last weekend. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never will still have appeal to that tiny percentage of teen girl fans who have not yet seen their idol on the big screen.
If the overall box office downtrend continues, this will be the 15th weekend of down revenues vs. a year ago. However, given the strong lineup this weekend and favorable comparisons to the post-President’s weekend last year (President’s weekend fell a week earlier in 2010), optimism is high for a chance for the streak to finally end. The all-time record negative streak was experienced in 2005, when 19 down weeks plagued the industry from late spring into summer.
One thing is certain, this is one box office record no one wants to break.

Top Story: Gigli Gets Razzed!
Believe it or not, the Oscars weren't the only awards show to take place over the weekend. The Razzie Awards, which "honor" the worst films of the year, were handed out Saturday night in a conference room at a Sheraton hotel in Santa Monica, Calif. While The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King swept the Academy Awards, the 24th annual Razzies were hijacked by a cinematic fiasco called Gigli. The drama took home the Golden Raspberry for worst film of the year, while its stars, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, won worst actor and actress as well as worst screen couple. Gigli's Martin Brest received the worst director and screenwriter honors. Despite Gigli's six accolades, the film won't go down in history for the most Razzies; that honor still belongs to Showgirls and Battlefield Earth, which have seven each. Worst supporting actor and actress trophies went to Sylvester Stallone for his performance in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over and Demi Moore for her role in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, which was also named worst sequel. Mike Myers' Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat won the newest category, "worst excuse for an actual movie."
Kevin Costner Defends Mel Gibson
Director/actor Kevin Costner told the syndicated entertainment TV show Access Hollywood that people should not attack Mel Gibson for his film The Passion of the Christ. "We shouldn't be attacking a filmmaker like Mel Gibson who, number one, is an honorable filmmaker ... and probably questioned himself more than anybody even knows. So leave him alone," Costner, 49, said. The film, which depicts the final hours and crucifixion of Christ, has been criticized for implying Jews were collectively responsible for Christ's death. It took in $76.2 million over the weekend and posted a five-day total of $117.5 million since its Wednesday opening, making it the biggest February opener ever.
Masked Jackson Alarms Wal-Mart Staff
Perhaps shopping with a ski mask on is not the wisest thing. According to Reuters, Wal-Mart employees in Glenwood Springs, Colo., became concerned last Tuesday when they spotted a shopper with a ski mask covering his face and promptly alerted police, who then stopped the masked man in his vehicle just a few blocks away. But when an officer asked the man and his driver for identification, off came the ski mask--to reveal none other than embattled pop star Michael Jackson. Turns out Jackson, who is vacationing at a ranch near Old Snowmass in the Aspen area, was simply shopping incognito. Police let the singer go without incident.
Sofia Coppola Sweeps Indie Awards
Sofia Coppola, who took home an Oscar Sunday night for best original screenplay for Lost in Translation, won directing and screenplay honors for that quirky comedy Saturday at the Independent Spirit Awards, while star Bill Murray was named best actor. The best actress award went to Charlize Theron for Monster, which also received the best first feature prize for director Patty Jenkins; supporting actor honor went to Djimon Hounsou for In America; supporting actress prize went to Shohreh Aghdashloo for House of Sand and Fog; best debut performance went to Nikki Reed for Thirteen; best foreign film went to Whale Rider; best documentary went to The Fog of War; and the best cinematography prize was awarded to Declan Quinn for In America. The best first screenplay was given to Tom McCarthy for The Station Agent, which also won the best film shot for under $500,000.
Judge Dismisses Stewart Securities Fraud Count
Martha Stewart, who is accused of staging a stock tip cover-up with her former Merrill Lynch &amp; Co. broker, Peter Bacanovic, scored a major victory Friday when U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum dismissed the most serious count of securities fraud on grounds the prosecution failed to produce sufficient evidence. Stewart now faces one count of conspiracy, two counts of making false statements and one count of obstruction of agency proceedings. Each count carries a possible prison term of five years and a $250,000 fine. Closing arguments began today, Reuters reports, and are expected to last through Tuesday, with jury deliberations likely to begin on Wednesday.
Some Charges Dropped in R. Kelly Case
In what they described as a routine pretrial move, prosecutors in Chicago dropped seven of the 21 charges in R&amp;B singer R. Kelly's child pornography case. According to Billboard.com, the seven counts dropped involved charges of soliciting a minor to appear in child pornography. Kelly, whose "R." stands for Robert, pleaded innocent to the remaining 14 counts of child pornography. The next hearing is April 2 but no trial date has been set. The 34-year-old singer, whose hits include "I Believe I Can Fly," was arrested in June 2002 after videotape surfaced allegedly showing him having sex with an underage girl.
MTV Sponsors Spears' Onyx Hotel Tour
Music cabler MTV has rolled out its first global tour sponsorship. MTV Presents Britney Spears Onyx Hotel Tour 2004 kicks off March 2 at the San Die

Top Story: Jackson's Fans Assemble for Support
As Michael Jackson's arraignment on child molestation charges draws near, the singer's family, friends--and most importantly, his fans--are gearing up to show their support. "We've had fans calling from out of state who are flying in just for the arraignment," Angel Howansky, a freelance publicist who is helping coordinate the event, told The Associated Press. Diana Dalo, an Italian fan, said fans are planning a "huge gathering" over several days that will include people from Spain, France, England, Canada, Mexico and Japan, as well as from around the United States. Jackson's brother, Jermaine Jackson, told reporters Monday, "My brother is innocent; he is 1,000 percent innocent. My mother, father, sisters and brothers are overwhelmed at the outpouring of the fans." Jackson is scheduled to be arraigned in Santa Maria on Friday.
In More Jackson News…
Meanwhile, Jackson, who has said he will never live at his Neverland Ranch again, is leasing a $20 million cliffside estate in Beverly Hills "with panoramic city views," AP reports. Real estate broker Elaine Young told AP Jackson signed a one-year lease with a one-year option to buy the mammoth three-story mansion. The listed lease price was $100,000 a month, but it wasn't known what Jackson was paying.
De Niro, Scorsese To Write Joint Memoir
Robert De Niro and director Martin Scorsese have decided to write a joint memoir to share insights on their 30-year friendship and collaboration on eight major films, Reuters reports. "We came from the same New York neighborhood but hung out on different streets," Scorsese said in a statement, adding that their friendship grew with each collaboration. "We can finish each other's sentences and understand things that are not said," he said. "It's like a professional marriage, and the offspring are the movies." The untitled book is scheduled to be published in 2005, Harmony Books publisher Shaye Areheart told Reuters. The book has already been sold to publishers in England, the Netherlands, Israel and Germany.
Stewart Makes Web Defense
Domestic style mogul Martha Stewart has created her own Web site in an effort to mount her defense in the upcoming high-stakes trial against her, AP reports. Stewart is accused of inside trading, selling ImClone Systems Inc. stock in 2001 just before it dropped sharply on a negative government report about an experimental ImClone cancer drug. Stewart claims she and her broker had a pre-existing agreement to sell, but the government says she had privileged information--that ImClone founder Sam Waksal, a friend of Stewart's, was trying to unload some of his shares. The Web site, on which Stewart explains her version of events, is updated almost daily with letters from fans, supportive newspaper editorials and fresh pictures of Stewart, AP reports. She is due in court Jan. 20.
All-Star Survivor Planned
CBS' Survivor: All-Stars will rematch 18 past Survivor contestants and winners, including Richard Hatch, winner of the original Survivor and his island mate Rudy Boesch, Tina Wesson, winner of Survivor: The Australian Outback and her runner-up Colby Donaldson and others. The show will air after the Super Bowl, Feb. 1.
Downloading May Save Music Industry
After four straight years of declining CD sales, the recording industry is pinning hopes for a recovery on music fans willing to pay for music downloads. More than 19.2 million digital tracks were sold online in the last six months, according to Nielsen Soundscan, helping to narrow the music industry's losses last year, AP reports. Album sales were down 3.6 percent in 2003, according to Nielsen Soundscan.
Role Call: Costner Donning Cowboy Hat Again; Dynasty Telepic in Works
Kevin Costner is ready to get back in the saddle again. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the multi-hyphenate, who directed, produced and starred in last year's Open Range, has committed to do the Western Horizon, once again directing and starring in the project, whose plot is being closely guarded…ABC is developing a two-hour telepic that will show the rise and fall of Aaron Spelling's classic primetime soap Dynasty, Variety reports. ABC exec Quinn Taylor told Variety the telepic will chronicle the "creation of the show, the network politics involved in (needing) a hit show and the pressure to keep one-upping yourself [to stay atop the Nielsens]."

Blade 2 was a slashing success at the box office, opening in first place to a razor sharp $33.1 million.
Ice Age slid into second place with a still solid $31.1 million, melting only 33 percent. E.T.'s 20th anniversary reissue opened in third place, celebrating with $15.1 million. Also helping to drive ticket sales to record setting heights were holdovers Showtime with $8.2 million and Resident Evil with $6.6 million.
For the second consecutive weekend, key films--those grossing $500,000 or more--enjoyed summer sized grosses. Studio estimates put ticket sales at $132.7 million, down less than one percent from last weekend's $133.8 million. Business was up nearly 75 percent from last year's $76 million.
Distribution sources said that when the weekend's final numbers are released Monday they could be lower than today's estimates because of competition from tonight's Oscar telecast. Adult appeal films, in particular, are considered to be the most vulnerable to competition from the Oscars.
For years the industry avoided having a negative impact at the box office by holding the Oscars on Monday night, the weakest night of the weak for ticket sales. Last year, the Oscars were moved to Sunday night. A key reason for the move was to take advantage of there being less traffic in Los Angeles on Sundays so those attending could get to the ceremonies more easily.
THE TOP TEN
New Line Cinema's R rated vampire thriller Blade 2 kicked off in first place to a bloody good ESTIMATED $33.1 million at 2,707 theaters ($12,228 per theater).
Blade 2's average per theater was the highest for any film playing this weekend.
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro, it stars Wesley Snipes.
"It could be heading to $100 million," New Line distribution president David Tuckerman said Sunday morning.
"This was just terrific. It's Wesley's biggest opening and it almost doubled the first Blade's opening (of $17.1 million the weekend of Aug. 21-23, 1998)."
Looking at the opening weekend demographics, Tuckerman said exit polls showed were encouraging because they showed the urban appeal film played to a broader audience than expected. Those on hand were 69 percent non-African-American and 31 percent African-American.
"Non-African-Americans were 55 percent male and 45 percent female, which also is terrific," Tuckerman said. "The African-American audience was equally divided 50-50 (by gender). By age (the overall audience) was equally divided under and over 25."
Looking at New Line's timing in releasing the film now, Tuckerman observed, "One of the reasons I picked this date was because (in terms of upcoming openings) there was only Panic Room, which is not in our demo at all. It looks to me like there's four weeks for it to play without anything to bother it. And it looks like we're going to play for a while."
20th Century Fox's PG rated animated feature Ice Age fell one slot to second place in its second weekend, holding strongly with an ESTIMATED $31.08 million (-33%) at 3,345 theaters (+29 theaters; $9,291 per theater). Its cume is approximately $88.3 million.
Directed by Chris Wedge, it features the voices of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Denis Leary.
"You know, if we had opened to this figure we would have been ecstatic," Fox distribution executive vice president and general sales manager Rick Myerson said Sunday morning.
"We have about 12 digital runs in North America. The presentation in digital is phenomenal because this was computer generated digitally. People are waiting for the next digital presentation at some of those theaters. What they're saying is, 'Look, I know there's one in 15 minutes, but I'd rather wait a half-hour and see the (next) digital presentation."
Noting that Ice Age is also playing abroad now, Myerson said, "The international market is unbelievable. (Based on early grosses coming in) they may have done $30 million internationally and they have only opened up the U.K., Germany and one other European country plus Singapore and a few South American (territories) and Mexico. But the numbers are just unbelievable.
"It's mirroring what we're doing. The numbers in Germany, Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico and (other markets) are bigger than Shrek and Dinosaur combined, which were huge. It seems like the picture is just coming along with us (in paralleling its domestic success). The admissions they had in Mexico in 10 days were unheard of. If you take a bunch of animated pictures and put them together, (Ice Age is) doing better in those first 10 days. It's just phenomenal."
Universal's 20th year anniversary reissue of its PG rated sci-fi fantasy drama E.T. landed in third place with a happy ESTIMATED $15.05 million at 3,007 theaters ($5,005 per theater).
Directed by Steven Spielberg, it stars Dee Wallace Stone, Peter Coyote, Drew Barrymore and Henry Thomas.
"We're very pleased with E.T.'s performance," Universal distribution president Nikki Rocco said Sunday morning. "The whole idea of the reissue was to celebrate the 20th anniversary of a film that we at Universal and at Amblin are all very proud of.
"Its performance is very much like any Disney animated reissue, if you look at the numbers. It ranks number four in all time reissue openings behind the three Star Wars and that's good company to be in. There's every indication that the audiences that did go to see it absolutely adored the film, including the non-parents category."
Among non-family moviegoers, Rocco noted, "ratings were well above average among 25 year olds and over. They were also, of course, incredible for kids and for parents. But I highlight that category because it's interesting. You don't have to be parent or a kid to enjoy the experience of E.T."
Warner Bros.' PG-13 rated action comedy Showtime from Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment slipped one peg to fourth place in its second week with an okay ESTIMATED $8.23 million (-45%) at 2,917 theaters (theater count unchanged; $2,821 per theater). Its cume is approximately $26.9 million.
Directed by Tom Dey, it stars Robert De Niro, Eddie Murphy and Rene Russo.
Sony's Screen Gems label launched its R rated thriller Resident Evil from Constantin Film, New Legacy Film and Davis Films dropped three notches to fifth place in its second week with a less scary ESTIMATED $6.6 million (-63%) at 2,528 theaters (theater count unchanged; $2,611 per theater). Its cume is approximately $28.8 million.
Written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, it stars Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez and Eric Mabius.
Resident Evil, which was made by Constantin for about $30 million, is being released through Sony domestically and in certain international territories, including all of Latin America.
"I think we're headed towards a very profitable $40 million (in domestic theaters)," Sony Pictures Entertainment worldwide marketing &amp; distribution president Jeff Blake said Sunday morning. "It's the nature of the genre and the world we now live in (in terms of the highly competitive movie marketplace) that things drop a bit more than we'd like--not to mention some pretty strong competition from Blade 2."
Paramount and Icon Productions' R rated Vietnam war drama We Were Soldiers fell one rung to sixth place in its fourth week with a slower ESTIMATED $5.8 million (-32%) at 2,859 theaters (-284 theaters; $2,029 per theater). Its cume is approximately $61.7 million, heading for $80-90 million in domestic theaters.
Written and directed by Randall Wallace, it stars Mel Gibson.
DreamWorks and Warner Bros.' PG-13 rated time travel fantasy drama The Time Machine fell three pegs to seventh place in its third week with a quieter ESTIMATED $5.2 million (-52%) at 2,809 theaters (-149 theaters; $1,851 per theater). Its cume is approximately $48.0 million. The film is being released domestically by DreamWorks and internationally by Warner Bros., which co-financed its production.
Directed by Simon Wells, it stars Guy Pearce.
Universal, DreamWorks and Imagine Entertainment's PG-13 rated drama A Beautiful Mind--which has eight Oscar nominations including best picture--rose one notch to eighth place in its 14th week, still holding very well with an ESTIMATED $4.26 million (+26%) at 1,455 theaters (-78 theaters; $2,930 per theater). Its cume is approximately $154.9 million. How far it goes from here will depend on how well it does in tonight's Oscar race.
Directed by Ron Howard, the Brian Grazer production stars Russell Crowe, Ed Harris and Jennifer Connelly.
Buena Vista/Touchstone's R rated youth comedy Sorority Boys opened in a virtual tie for eighth place with an unfunny ESTIMATED $4.2 million at 1,801 theaters ($2,317 per theater).
Directed by Wally Wolodarsky, it stars Barry Watson.
Rounding out the Top Ten was Miramax and Universal's R rated romantic comedy 40 Days and 40 Nights, down three slots in its fourth week with a dull ESTIMATED $2.72 million (-38%) at 1,831 theaters (-481 theaters; $1,487 per theater). Its cume is approximately $34.2 million.
Directed by Michael Lehmann, it stars Josh Hartnett, Shannyn Sossamon and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
OTHER OPENINGS
This weekend also saw the arrival of Miramax's PG rated drama Stolen Summer--famous for having been featured in HBO's Project Greenlight series--to a slow ESTIMATED $0.062 million at 13 theaters ($4,769 per theater).
Written and directed by Pete Jones, it stars Aidan Quinn, Bonnie Hunt, Kevin Pollak and Brian Dennehy.
Sony Pictures Classics' R rated comedy Son of the Bride opened to a hopeful ESTIMATED $0.037 million at 6 theaters ($6,098 per theater).
Directed by Joan Jose Campanella, the film is Argentina's official entry in the Oscars and a nominee for best foreign language film.
SNEAK PREVIEWS
There were no national sneak previews this weekend.
EXPANSIONS
On the expansion front this weekend USA Films' R rated romantic comedy Monsoon Wedding added theaters in its fifth week with a still festive ESTIMATED $0.81 million (+4%) at 128 theaters (+30 theaters; $6,310 per theater). Its cume is approximately $3.3 million.
Directed by Mira Nair, it was produced by Nair and Caroline Baron.
Fox Searchlight Pictures' R rated romantic comedy Kissing Jessica Stein expanded in its second week to a still sexy ESTIMATED $0.55 million at 66 theaters (+40 theaters; $8,300 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.1 million.
Directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld, it stars Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen.
"This Friday we're adding another 19 cities and we'll go up to over 30 theaters," Fox Searchlight distribution president Stephen Gilula said Sunday morning.
Focusing on Kissing Jessica Stein's performance this weekend, Gilula said, "It's terrific. The holdover theaters declined less than 10 percent and we continued to move into more regional cities where the film is performing extremely well. So we're seeing evidence of very, very strong word of mouth in a wide range of cities and theaters. It's crossing over into a broader and broader audience. So we're quite pleased about that."
IFC Films' unrated erotic drama Y Tu Mama Tambien went wider in its second week with a still hot ESTIMATED $0.46 million at 52 theaters (+10 theaters; $8,785 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.1 million.
Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, it stars Maribel Verdu, Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna.
INTERNATIONAL
Universal's international division reported Sunday that Ali G Inda House, its latest film from Working Title, opened in first place in the U.K. to a terrific $2.9 million for two days on 394 playdates. Ali G Inda House is 69 percent ahead of the second place Ice Age and has 32 percent of the marketplace.
Spy Game in its second weekend in Germany grossed $0.82 million on 634 playdates, ranking third behind the openings of Ice Age and Resident Evil. A Beautiful Mind was sixth with $0.6 million on 350 playdates.
In Austria, Spy Game grossed $0.1 million on 63 playdates in its second weekend, coming in second to the opening of Ice Age. Spy Game's international cume is $71 million.
A Beautiful Mind, a Universal DreamWorks co-production that is being distributed by UIP for DreamWorks, continued to hold very well internationally. In Australia A Beautiful Mind was second with $0.91 million on 220 playdates, down only 18 percent and only behind the opening of Ice Age. In the U.K., A Beautiful Mind grossed $0.5 million on 350 playdates, down 27% and fourth in the marketplace in its fifth week.
In Spain, A Beautiful Mind was fourth in its fifth week, grossing $0.3 million for two days on 200 playdates, down 25%. In Argentina, A Beautiful Mind in its fifth week took over the top spot on the chart again with a weekend gross of $95,000 on 46 playdates, down only 9 percent. In Brazil, A Beautiful Mind finished third in its sixth weekend With $0.22 million on 163 playdates, down only 7 percent. In Mexico A Beautiful Mind was fifth in its fourth week, with $0.34 million on 170 playdates, down only 10 percent. A Beautiful Mind's international cume is $64 million.
WEEKEND COMPARISONS
Key films--those grossing more than $500,000--took in approximately $132.66 million, up about 74.74 percent from last year when they totaled $75.92 million. Key films this weekend were down a marginal 0.33 percent from the previous weekend of this year's total of $133.81 million.
Last year, MGM's opening week of Heartbreakers was first with $11.8 million at 2,750 theaters ($4,291 per theater); and Sony's opening week of The Brothers was second with $10.3 million at 1,378 theaters ($7,477 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $22.1 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $64.2 million.

It was a Fast moving weekend at the box office as Universal's The Fast and the Furious sped away with over $41 million.
The PG-13 action drama pulled into theaters with a high octane ESTIMATED $41.6 million at 2,628 theaters ($15,830 per theater).
Fast, which only cost $38 million to produce, appears to be well on its way to a very profitable $100 million in domestic theaters.
Fast's average per theater was the highest for any film playing in wide or limited release this weekend.
Directed by Rob Cohen and produced by Neal H. Moritz, it stars Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster.
"It's the eighth all-time June opener and Universal's sixth highest opener ever," Universal distribution president Nikki Rocco said Sunday morning. "And it ranks in the Top 25 of all time openers in history, which is a lot to say for a little film that cost $38 million. It's Rob Cohen's biggest opener and Neal Moritz's biggest opener."
(Exhibitors Relations Co., a film industry statistical research firm, lists The Fast and the Furious as the seventh best June opener if estimates hold.)
Pointing out that Fast is playing in 2,628 theaters, which she felt was the perfect number of theaters for it to open in, rather than in 3,000-plus locations, which has become typical for summer releases. "This is a lesson that you don't need to be in 3,500 playdates to do a huge gross," Rocco said. "I want to point out to filmmakers that if you're not in (over 3,000 theaters) you can still have a blockbuster."
Focusing on Fast's high speed launch, Rocco observed, "Obviously, the grosses speak for themselves as an indication of the enormously successful opening that we've had. What I'm absolutely excited about are the exit polls. To see an excellent rating for all [demographic] categories come in at 60 percent where the norms are 35 percent is extraordinary. The core audience [which is the under-25 group] is 68 percent excellent. These are enormous exit polls.
"The Top Two boxes [excellent and very good] is 89 percent. Now remember, you're taking into consideration [in this score people who are] over 25 years of age. For the core audience, it's 91 percent. The Definite Recommend is 71 percent and 78 percent for the score. It's unbelievably impressive."
Rocco noted that the exits were done Saturday night, "so we're not just getting the must-see people who go out on a Friday night. These were polled on Saturday night. That's what's so amazing to me. The breakdown of the audience last night was 55 percent male and 45 percent female. That's not heavily loaded to males. And it was very ethnically mixed. It was 50 percent white, 24 percent Hispanic, 11 percent Asian, 10 percent black and 5 percent others. So it had a good ethnic mix. And it bodes well for today's business between kids being out of school and Sunday being a good day for films [that play well to ethnic audiences]. That's why we're counting on the business being extraordinary today. There are no [major televised] sporting events to interfere with us.
"I'm just so excited for Rob Cohen and Neal Moritz. And I have to commend our production group and Scott Stuber (co-president of production). This was an in-house developed project. Scott found an article in Vibe magazine about streetcar racing and he developed this. So it's kudos to the production group. Our marketing, distribution and production people have proven -- and this is just a further example -- how we can tap into a certain culture. We did it with Bring It On. We did it with American Pie. And now we've done it with The Fast and the Furious."
Focusing on the film's release, Rocco commented, "The distribution strategy was absolutely perfect. In an environment where it's almost a must that you find 3,000 playdates, we've just proven that 2,600 playdates gets the job done as well as any film opening with over 3,000 playdates. That's not to say that we won't have 3,000 playdates on other films, it's just to say that you go with the flow and do what the marketplace demands of you."
Rocco also tipped her hat to Universal Pictures vice chairman Marc Shmuger "for having the enthusiasm and the drive to convince us to move it from March or April to the summer. After the second test screening, Marc looked at everybody and discussed with the filmmakers the fact that this would be a perfect summer programmer."
Rocco noted that at the time she believed Fast was going to be hit and felt she needed it on the studio's spring release schedule. "Marc had the vision and the guts to say, 'We could do it, team. Let's move it to the summer.' The only date that we felt comfortable with was this date, which was sandwiched between Tomb Raider and A.I. I have to give him a lot of credit for having that vision and the faith.
"I like to space out all my hits and we needed a film in the spring. But everything that Marc said made so much sense that we moved it. He convinced us, so we found this date. We knew we weren't going to go on the Tomb Raider date (or) the A.I. date. We had Jurassic Park 3 set for mid-July, so we didn't want to go there. This was the only reliable date that I could pick. And I didn't want to go earlier and cut into The Mummy Returns."
20th Century Fox and Davis Entertainment's PG rated comedy sequel Dr. Dolittle 2 kicked off in second place to a solid ESTIMATED $26.71 million at 3,049 theaters ($8,761 per theater).
The 1998 original -- inspired by the 1967 musical -- opened the weekend of June 26-28, 1998 to $29.01 million at 2,777 theaters ($10,448 per theater). In its second weekend (July 3-5), the original fell 32% and placed second with $19.68 million at 2,871 theaters ($6,853 per theater). It went on to gross $144.2 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by Steve Carr and produced by John Davis, it stars Eddie Murphy.
"I'm looking at the overall weekend and I can't believe it -- it's up [over] 40 percent from last year," Fox distribution president Bruce Snyder said Sunday morning. "It's astonishing. How much can a market expand? What it says is that there's enough pictures that they do want to see. You're looking at five movies over $10 million. It's just amazing."
Looking at Dolittle's opening weekend, Snyder noted, "We were up 16 percent from Friday to Saturday. I was looking for a little bigger bump, but I guess there's just so much business out there. I was also looking at Atlantis and Shrek, which are family movies [like Dolittle]. They did almost $24 million between them and with our $26.7 million, you're looking at $50 million in family movies. It was a terrific weekend and I'm thrilled with our number. I believe we'll be around all summer with it."
Some observes had expected Dolittle to open in first place, which Snyder said had looked likely until this week's tracking data became known.
"If you had asked me that two weeks ago, I would have told you I thought so, too," he said. "As of this week, you could see the heat building on the teenage movie. One thing about teenage movies is that the kids have to get in there immediately. Dolittle you can see this week, next week, the week after. When it comes to teenage movies, (you've got to be there right away), which is why it goes down from Friday to Saturday. [Fast] was off 10 percent, which is not a big drop on such a huge number, but it's indicative of the teenage moviegoing habit vs. family [audiences]."
Looking for a long run on Dolittle, he added, "We'll be talking about it in August."
Paramount and Mutual Film Company's PG-13 rated action adventure Lara Croft: Tomb Raider fell sharply in its second week by two rungs to third place with a less sexy ESTIMATED $20.2 million (-58%) at 3,312 theaters (+4 theaters; $6,099 per theater). Its cume is approximately $84.2 million, heading for $125-130 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by Simon West, Tomb stars Angelina Jolie.
"I think it's $125-135 million, in there somewhere, if it continues along this same pattern that X-Men did, which frankly it's just virtually mirrored every day as far as percentage drops," Paramount distribution president Wayne Lewellen said Sunday morning. "Actually, on Thursday X-Men dropped 10 percent from the Wednesday figure and we were flat with Wednesday, so we were a little bit on the positive side. But the percentages have been virtually the same. They were down 57 percent their second weekend."
Buena Vista/Disney's PG rated animated feature Atlantis slid two pegs in its third week, but held well with an ESTIMATED $13.2 million (-35%) at 3,071 theaters (+60 theaters; $4,298 per theater). Its cume is approximately $44.3 million.
Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, its voice talents include Michael J. Fox, James Garner, Cree Summer and Leonard Nimoy.
DreamWorks' PG rated computer animated blockbuster Shrek dropped two notches to fifth place in its sixth week, continuing to hold strongly with an ESTIMATED $11.0 million (-16%) at 3,007 theaters (-310 theaters; $3,663 per theater). Its cume is approximately $215.8 million on its way to $250 million or more.
DreamWorks said Shrek hit $200 million on June 19, almost exactly one month after its wide release on May 18.
"Crossing $200 million this early out puts Shrek in the kind of rarified atmosphere that would be a fairy tale come true for any studio," DreamWorks distribution head Jim Tharp said in announcing the milestone. "The film's success speaks volumes about how well this movie plays to audiences across every geographic and demographic divide. We are thrilled that moviegoers are not only continuing to discover the magic of Shrek for the first time, but are going back again and again -- and taking friends. The resulting word of mouth has been a big part of the box office success and should continue to carry it throughout the summer."
Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, its voice talents include Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow.
Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow's R rated action thriller Swordfish dropped two rungs to sixth place in its third week with an OK ESTIMATED $7.7 million (-39%) at 2,660 theaters (-28 theaters; $2,900 per theater). Its cume is approximately $53.2 million, heading for $72-73 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by Dominic Sena and produced by Joel Silver and Jonathan Krane, it stars John Travolta, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry and Don Cheadle.
"It's sensational given the competition in our demographic the last two weeks from Tomb Raider and Fast and the Furious, these are great," Warner Bros. Distribution executive vice president &amp; general sales manager Jeff Goldstein said Sunday morning.
Looking ahead to what looms as next weekend's big film, Goldstein reminded, "A.I. opens up Friday in over 3,000 locations."
Buena Vista/Touchstone and Jerry Bruckheimer Films' PG-13 rated three hour epic action romance Pearl Harbor fell two rungs to seventh place in its fifth weekend with a less explosive $7.0 million (-29%) at 2,668 theaters (-472 theaters; $2,618 per theater). Its cume is approximately $172.1 million, on its way to $200 million by late summer.
Directed by Michael Bay, Pearl was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay. Starring are Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnet, Kate Beckinsale, Cuba Gooding Jr., Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight and Alec Baldwin.
20th Century Fox's PG-13 rated romantic musical drama Moulin Rouge held on to eighth place in its sixth week, continuing to hold well with an ESTIMATED $3.84 million (-24%) at 1,592 theaters (-492 theaters; $2,411 per theater). Its cume is approximately $43.4 million.
Directed by Baz Luhrmann, it stars Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.
"It's off (only) 24 percent and yet we lost 25 percent of our theaters," Fox's Bruce Snyder said Sunday morning. "I think something's happening there. (The cut-back in theaters) funneled the business back into the theaters that were strong."
Where is it going? "I've got to think we can get to $55 million and that will be delightful," Snyder said. "This is not an easy movie. It doesn't fit the cookie cutter molds that I'm accustomed to dealing in, so I'm delighted."
DreamWorks' and Columbia's PG-13 rated sci-fi comedy Evolution fell three pegs in its third week with a calm ESTIMATED $3.6 million (-46%) at 2,258 theaters (-355 theaters; $1,578 per theater). Its cume is approximately $32.6 million.
Directed by Ivan Reitman, it stars David Duchovny, Orlando Jones, Seann William Scott and Julianne Moore.
Rounding out the Top 10 was Columbia's release of Revolution Studios PG-13 youth appeal comedy The Animal, down three rungs in its fourth weekend with a quiet ESTIMATED $3.0 million (-48%) at 2,228 theaters (-513 theaters; $1,346 per theater). Its cume is approximately $51.3 million, heading. for $55 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by Luke Greenfield, it stars Rob Schneider.
On the expansion front, this weekend saw Fox Searchlight's R rated drama Sexy Beast widen in its second week with a very sexy ESTIMATED $0.65 million at 57 theaters (+48 theaters; $11,426 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.97 million.
Directed by Jonathan Glazer, it stars Ben Kingsley.
"It's playing extremely well across the country -- from Boston to Houston to Seattle to Chicago," Fox Searchlight distribution president Stephen Gilula said Sunday morning. "I think what's happened is that the Don Logan character than Ben Kingsley has created is fascinating people. It's a larger than life character and people are really talking about it. It's almost like a Travis Bickel or a Hannibal Lecter. People are just mesmerized and they're talking about it.
"In New York, where we're in our second week, all of the four theaters went up this weekend, which is just excellent. We're adding another 21 markets this week and we'll go to over 100 theaters and we have additional cities (that we'll be adding) every weekend in July. We're going to get to 150 to 200 theaters."
Focusing on where it's playing best at this point, Gilula noted, "It is not crossing over yet into the pure commercial suburbs. But our suburban runs in New York were actually quite good. We seem to be the art film or the limited release film of the summer so far. (Fine Line's) Anniversary Party is doing pretty well, in addition."
Asked where Beast is heading, Gilula replied, "I hesitate to give you a number yet in terms of where we're going to end up, but I think we'll get past $5 million, which for us on a small film will be just fine.
"Even in a mega-summer, there's an audience out there that really seeks out alternative sort of smart film entertainment. It is not a monolithic market, at all. There are audiences that are out there all year long always looking for all kinds of movies."
Fine Line Features' R rated comedy The Anniversary Party went wider in its third week with a still encouraging ESTIMATED $0.62 million at 85 theaters (+69 theaters; $7,335 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.2 million.
Written and directed by Alan Cumming and Jennifer Jason Leigh, its ensemble cast includes Jane Adams, Jennifer Beals, Phoebe Cates, Alan Cumming, Kevin Kline, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gwyneth Paltrow, Parker Posey and John C. Reilly.
Lions Gate Films' PG-13 rated drama Songcatcher expanded in its second week with an uninspired ESTIMATED $0.06 million at 13 theaters (+6 theaters; $4,630 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.12 million.
Directed by Maggie Greenwald, it stars Janet McTeer and Aidan Quinn.
Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 -- took in approximately $14.33 million, up about 42.34% from the comparable weekend last year when key films grossed $100.69 million.
This weekend's key film gross was up about 10.97% from last weekend this year when key films took in $129.15 million.
Last year, Fox's opening week of Me, Myself &amp; Irene was first with $24.21 million at 3,019 theaters ($8,019 per theater); and DreamWorks' opening week of Chicken Run was second with $17.51 million at 2,491 theaters ($7,028 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $41.7 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $68.3 million.